President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived Banjul to meet with the President of Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, who lost the presidential election penultimate week, but rejected the results.
The Nigerian leader arrived together with President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra-Leone and President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, who is the current Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS.
The leaders were received on Tuesday at the airport by Gambia’s Vice-President, Isatou Njie-Saidy.
The out-going President of Ghana, John Mahama, who had earlier arrived Banjul, would join the other West African leaders to meet President Jammeh at the CoCo Ocean Resort and Spa, Banjul.
President Jammeh had earlier conceded defeat in the election, after a 22-year rule, but recanted a week later, asking for fresh polls to be conducted by a “god-fearing and independent electoral commission”.
President Buhari and the ECOWAS leaders would discuss the ensuing impasse in the Gambia with President Jammeh, and insist on the sanctity of the electoral process as well as respect for the wishes of the people.
They would also ask their host to respect the Constitution of his own country and maintain the inviolability of an electoral process that had been concluded, in which he had admitted defeat and congratulated his main challenger.
The leaders are also scheduled to meet the President-elect, Adama Barrow.
A statement by President Buhari’s spokesman, Femi Adesina, reveals that the leader is expected back in Abuja later on Tuesday.
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